Nightmares to Sweet Dreams
by Lastande Sarie
Summary: ONESHOT.  FLUFF.  Ariadne is haunted by nightmares.  She doesn't know how to stop them, but Arthur will help her turn them into sweet dreams.


**Disclaimer: I can only DREAM about owning or having anything to do with Inception other than fan fics.**

**A/N: I just saw Inception last night and I've only seen it once. This is my first Inception fan fic. Please go easy on me. Maybe I should have waited until I was more knowledgeable about Inception, but I was too excited about the movie to wait any longer to write a fan fic. Haha! Anyway, please review! Let me know what you think either way and if you'd like to see more.**

**P.S. This story is for my Inception buddies – my sister (crazinessgirl3) and my friends who went to see it with us (Ben, Connor, Caleb), my other crazy friend who saw it first (Ave), and my other friends who WILL see it with me if it's the last thing they do (friends Britt, Candi, and Tiff) and sister (crazyblugirl). I think that covers everyone. :)**

Water flowed around Ariadne's ankles. It was neither hot nor cold, and she wouldn't really have noticed it except for the gentle tugging of the current. The red brick walls on either side of her dripped with moisture that dripped down her hand and off her wrists as she ran her fingers along. She had to feel her way carefully because it was so dark.

What was she looking for anyway? She couldn't remember, but she knew she'd been here for hours, walking through this endless maze, looking for something that was very important. Ariadne tried to remember what it was while she felt her way through the ankle-deep water, reaching ahead with her toes to make sure she didn't trip over anything she couldn't see in the dark water. But, as it had been the whole time, the water was obstacle-free.

It was so quiet. Ariadne noticed this suddenly and unease crept in. Normally she did assignments with the team, not on her own. So where were they? She suddenly remember that that's what she was looking for – her team. When she remembered this, terror suddenly overtook her and she paused. Something horrible had happened. Cobb, Arthur, Eames – all of them were in trouble. She couldn't remember what it was that had happened to them, but she knew they were lost and she had to find them. But how could she? Ariadne was just as lost. The only thing to do was keep going.

Just as she resumed walking, she heard a voice. Distant and echoing, the voice sounded calm, but that just made Ariadne more afraid. She began to walk faster. Who was speaking so calmly? Who could be calm in a situation like this? She rounded a bend and came to a sudden halt once more. Arthur was standing ten feet away, talking on his phone. Behind him was a brick wall; the maze reached a dead end here. Arthur was talking calmly to Cobb. Apparently everything was under control. Ariadne breathed a sigh of relief.

Arthur hung up the phone and she was just about to speak to him when fear clenched her heart. The maze didn't dead end behind Arthur. The wall was actually farther away than it looked. There was a waterfall behind him, and that's where the water was flowing. He didn't realize it and he was being pulled closer to the edge. As soon as Ariadne realized this, he looked up and smiled. She didn't even have time to scream before his smile turned to a look of horror. The current had grown stronger and he was trying to escape it but he couldn't. He was being pulled closer to the edge. He reached out his hands and Ariadne ran to grasp them, just as he fell off the edge.

With all her might, Ariadne clung to Arthur. "I won't let you go," she whispered, but he was sliding out of her grasp. She tried to adjust her hold, but Arthur's dead weight was too much for her.

"Ariadne," he gasped, just before she lost her grip and he went plummeting into the open space below.

With a gasp, Ariadne sat bolt upright. She was breathing hard and her heart was pounding. She could hear her blood rushing in her ears. It took her several seconds to realize that it had just been a dream – a real dream of her own, not one set up by the team. She smoothed her messy hair back from her face. The team. They were safe. She breathed a sigh of relief.

Just to be sure, Ariadne reached for her totem, sitting on the table next to her bed. She squeezed it in her palm, feeling the comforting and familiar weight of the chess piece. After a few seconds she set it back on the table and gently nudged the top of it. It fell over.

Ariadne closed her eyes and exhaled. She had calmed down considerably, but there was still no way she'd be going back to sleep anytime soon. She opened her eyes, slid out of bed, and walked over to the window, staring at the moonlit water below. Ariadne stood there for a few seconds, breathing deeply. It was a cool night, but she felt comfortable enough in her long pants and long-sleeved t-shirt she wore to bed. She opened the window a crack and listened to the soothing sound of the waves on the shore, going over the details of the past few days in her mind to help bring her back to reality.

The team had a new assignment. They had all assembled in this hotel suite to wait for the right person to come along. Everyone had arrived except Arthur – his flight had been delayed. Ariadne had been glad to see everyone else, of course, but she would feel better when she had seen Arthur for herself. She had been away from everyone for a couple months, finishing up at the university. She kept in touch with all of them, but that didn't compare to seeing someone for yourself.

Feeling considerably better, Ariadne walked slowly toward the door of her bedroom. "I'll just get some water and then I'll be able to sleep," she whispered to herself. She emerged into the sitting room. Everyone had gone to bed by now – it was two in the morning, Ariadne saw on the microwave clock as she entered the small kitchen. She opened the refrigerator, searching for a water bottle.

The door to the suite opened. Ariadne froze, listening hard. Whoever it was must have been working hard to be quiet, because the door barely made a sound as it opened and then closed a few seconds later. She could barely hear the footsteps of the person coming closer in the hallway to her right. They would reach the corner and see her in seconds. With the refrigerator door still open – it would be between herself and the intruder - Ariadne straightened, ready to scream if need b e. The person was right there…

"Ariadne?"

She couldn't believe who was standing in front of her. "Arthur?" she asked in shock. They stared at each other for several seconds over the refrigerator door before Arthur broke the silence.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh…" Ariadne blinked and looked around. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"Just surprised to see you up at two in the morning, that's all." He raised one eyebrow and the corner of his mouth twitched.

"Oh!" Suddenly she realized that she must look a mess from her tossing and turning. She attempted to smooth down her hair, but she was afraid that it really hadn't made a difference. To cover her awkwardness, she pulled a water bottle out of the fridge and softly closed the door. "Just getting some water."

Arthur nodded once, still staring at her with a raised eyebrow. "How have you been?"

"Great." She took a sip of the water, feeling more at ease. "Finished at the university so that's one less thing I have to worry about."

"What are your plans now?" Arthur stepped into the sitting room, just on the other side of the bar from Ariadne. He set down his suitcase and briefcase and pulled off his jacket while he waited for Ariadne's answer.

"I'm not planning on leaving the team, if that's what you're asking," Ariadne' replied carefully.

"No, I didn't really expect you to." Arthur stretched his arms out behind him and Ariadne realized how tired he looked.

"I'd better let you get to bed," she said, turning as though to walk back to her bedroom.

"Tired of my company already?" Arthur commented lightly.

Ariadne smiled. "No, never. I just thought you might be ready for some rest. It's great to see you." _Alive and well_, she added in her mind.

"It's good to see you, too." He was staring at her with an unreadable expression on his face. "It's been a while…but I can still tell when you're worried, Ariadne. What's wrong? Is everyone okay?"

"Yes." She wasn't going to say any more, but Arthur didn't look away or speak. Ariadne sighed and leaned her arms on the counter of the bar, across from Arthur. She looked down at her water bottle, clasped in both hands, and tried to think how to word her concerns. "I know that Cobb said eventually you just stop dreaming."

"That's right," Arthur said quietly, sitting on a bar stool. "So what's wrong? Have you stopped dreaming?"

"No." Ariadne chewed on her bottom lip. "I was actually wondering how long it took for the dreams to stop." The nightmares had been haunting her for two months. She was ready for them to end.

Arthur seemed to relax somewhat. "Oh. Well, you haven't been on that many missions, so it'll probably be a while before that's something you have to worry about. If you're concerned, you don't technically have to go on missions anymore. As the architect, you can just stay behind."

"That's not what I mean." Ariadne looked up at Arthur. "I want to stop dreaming. All my dreams are horrible nightmares. I have them every night."

Concern etched itself on Arthur's face. "That's not the solution, Ariadne. Dreams are normal. You can't just make them go away. And besides, it takes a while for them to stop. And for some people they never do stop."

"Do you still dream?" Ariadne whispered. It seemed like a personal question, even though it was harmless enough.

"Yes, actually. Not often. But sometimes."

"Do you have nightmares?" She was hoping to be able to find a way to make Arthur understand that these dreams were worse than the usual nightmares. They felt so real and she awoke every time scared to death that he had really died.

Arthur paused before he shook his head. "No. I usually have good dreams. Are your nightmares really that bad?"

Suddenly embarrassed, Ariadne turned away. She felt like a little kid. Why should she be so afraid of her dreams? "Don't worry about it. Like you said, it's normal." She tucked her hair behind her ear and stood up straight. "Guess I'll go back to bed." She left the kitchen, ready to make her escape. She wasn't expecting Arthur to take her hand.

"Ariadne," he whispered from right behind her. "What are your nightmares?"

She didn't want to tell him. She wished she'd never brought it up. She would have given just about anything not to be having this conversation with him at two a.m. But she sighed and looked up at him. "You die," she stated matter-of-factly. "I don't know I'm dreaming. I look for you and find you and try to save you but then you die." She shrugged and mumbled, "It's just a nightmare."

"I'm sorry your nightmares bother you so much," he told her. He hadn't let go of her hand. "I wish I could make them better. But don't wish your dreams away, Ariadne. You should always keep dreaming. Don't you ever have good ones anymore?"

"Yeah, I do." She wasn't about to tell him that her good dreams centered around him, too – mostly around the one time they'd kissed, even though it had been staged.

"Okay, then." Arthur sounded like he thought it was settled and he smiled. "The nightmares will pass and the good will outweigh the bad, right?"

Ariadne managed a smile in return. "I hope so."

"It's good to see you, Ariadne," Arthur said earnestly, pulling her into a tight hug, which she relished. "I hope you find a way to turn your nightmares to sweet dreams."

Inhaling his scent – clean cotton, leather, and whatever cologne he wore – Ariadne smiled and closed her eyes. "I think I know how. I should be okay now." She leaned her cheek on the smooth silk of his vest, memorizing how it felt to be in his arms because she knew it wouldn't last. Sure enough, he began to pull away long before she was ready.

"I missed you, Ariadne," he whispered. He was still standing close and had his hands on her upper arms. "Are you sure you're going to be all right?"

With a nod and a small smile, Ariadne turned to go for the second time. Again she was stopped by Arthur taking her hand. She didn't have any time to react much before he was kissing her softly. Ariadne closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck, still holding her water bottle. Now she was sure this was actually a dream. Reality couldn't be this good.

But then she remembered her totem. No, she was definitely awake. She opened her eyes and slowly pulled away. She blinked dazedly, her face inches away from Arthur's. She didn't know what to say or do now.

"Uh…" Arthur didn't seem to know either. Then he seemed to realize that Ariadne still had her arms wrapped around him and he smiled at her. "Was that okay?"

Ariadne just nodded and smiled back at him. "I should definitely be able to turn my nightmares to sweet dreams now."

Arthur chuckled and leaned down to kiss her again.

A few minutes later, Ariadne entered her room and turned to close the door. Just before she did, in the crack between door and wall, she saw Arthur pull out his totem and drop it on the counter. The die rolled once and stopped. She saw a grin spread across Arthur's face as he scooped up the die and put it back in his pocket.


End file.
